The Columbia Ball begins the debutante season Nov. 23

2005-11-25 / Society

Contributed by The Columbia Ball

Contributed byThe Columbia Ball

Lilla Wyman Theus

The first of the season’s debutante balls, The Columbia Ball, was held Thanksgiving Eve, November 23, at The Columbia Marriott.

The festivities began at 7:30 pm with a reception followed by the presentation of the debutantes, the debutante figure, dinner, and dancing in the ballroom. Music was provided by the Ross Holmes Band.

Mr. Robert Yates Knowlton, president of The Columbia Ball, and Mrs. Knowlton, along with debutante daughters, their mothers and grandmothers, and the debutante granddaughters and their grandmothers, received members and guests. The daughters making their formal bows to society were presented by their fathers and grandfathers introduced by Mr. Frank Jones Brunson.

The debutante figure was led by Miss Lilla Wyman Theus, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Harrison Theus, and escorted by Mr. George Cameron Todd III. Miss Theus was followed by Miss Nina McClenaghan Knowlton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Yates Knowlton and granddaughter of Mrs. Charles Wilson Knowlton and the late Mr. Knowlton, escorted by Mr. Samuel Walker Nickels; Miss Jessica Grace Bruner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Livingston Bruner and granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Wallace Bruner, escorted by Mr. James Livingston Bruner Jr.; Miss Katherine Ford Heiner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Ford Heiner and granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Herman Bistline, escorted by Mr. Parker McLean Gaddy; Miss Ida Dargan McMaster, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Willam Gourdin McMaster and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Gregg McMaster Jr., escorted by Mr. William Gourdin McMaster Jr.; Miss Sarah Simons Dunbar, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russel Reed Dunbar and granddaughter of Mr. Tucker Fisher Dana and the late Mrs. Dana, escorted by Mr. Matthew McLeod Neely; Miss Mary Palmer Gaddy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Walker Gaddy and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Richard Cathcart and the late Mr. Paul Trapier Palmer, escorted by Mr. James Cochran Copeland; Miss Evelyn Wells Bowers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ransey Bowers and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Moore Walker, escorted by Mr. Paul Ransey Bowers Jr.; Miss Katherine Stewart Bristow, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Walter James Bristow III and granddaughter of The Honorable and Mrs. Walter James Bristow Jr., escorted by Mr. Ansel Claiborne Bunch Jr.; Miss Claiborne Macdonald Fant, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Wilks Fant Jr. and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Wilks Fant, escorted by Mr. William Douglas Heinitsh; Miss Verd Anna Cunningham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Mark Cunningham, escorted by Mr. John Means A’Hern; Miss Lucille Frost Thorne Austin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Blaine Carter, escorted by Mr. James Andrew Daniel; and Miss Ann Stelling Pope, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Tusten Pope, escorted by Mr. Joseph Anderson Halligan.

Nina McClenaghan Knowlton Debutante granddaughters were Miss Margaret Louisa Lovelace Dunn, granddaughter of Colonel and Mrs. Richard Meredith Lovelace, escorted by Mr. Danner Owens Walker; Miss Frances Selby Faucher, granddaughter of Mrs. Charles Wilson Knowlton and the late Mr. Knowlton, presented by her uncle Mr. Francis Burkhead Brown Knowlton and escorted by Mr. Gregory Knowlton Faucher; Miss Ella Walker Kapp, granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Parks Kapp, presented by her uncle Mr. Robert Parks Kapp Jr. and escorted by Mr. Thomas Little Kapp Jr; Miss Isabel Copeland Kapp, granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Parks Kapp, presented by her uncle Mr. Lloyd McCrary Kapp and escorted by Mr. John Michael Kapp Jr; Miss Alden Elizabeth Knowlton, granddaughter of Mrs. Charles Wilson Knowlton and the late Mr. Knowlton, presented by her uncle Mr. Robert Yates Knowlton and escorted by Mr. Belton Townsend Zeigler; Miss Melanie Ann Mikell, granddaughter of Mrs. Walter Taylor Mikell Jr. and the late Mr. Mikell, presented by Mr. John Bruce Guignard and escorted by Mr. Timothy Jon Baughman Jr.; Miss Roberta Wade O’Neil, granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Thomas Harmon III, presented by her uncle Mr. Marvin Jennings Caughman and escorted by Mr. Joseph Daniel Caughman; and Miss Sarah Frances Whiteside, granddaughter of Dr. George Washington Brunson and the late Mrs. Brunson, escorted by Mr. Stuart Douglas Whiteside Jr.

Jessica Grace Bruner Guest debutantes were Miss Katherine Courtney Ballentine, escorted by Mr. Andrew Gray Howard; Miss Katherine Bonner Bowen, escorted by Mr. William Blake Beaman; Miss Anna Peterson Drake, escorted by Lieutenant Grady Leslie Patterson IV; Miss Rebecca Mackenzie Wyant Foster, escorted by Mr. William Madison Smyer; Miss Ellerbe Somers Gregg, escorted by Mr. Carl Lanford Holloway; Miss Margaret Elizabeth Hicks, escorted by Mr. John Shelton Hodges; Miss Nancy Landrum Johnston, escorted by Mr. Robert Hall McWilliams Jr.; Miss Katherine Powell McKinney, escorted by Mr. Price Cochran McCaskill; Miss Mary Ann Buchanan Powell, escorted by Mr. James Robinson Pearson; Miss Jeanne deSaussure Smith, escorted by Mr. Park Bowie Smith III; Miss Laurie Elizabeth Traywick, escorted by Mr. Rocco Douglas Cassone Jr.; and Miss Laura Stevens Williams, escorted by Mr. Clayton Sharpe Lovelace.

Mary Palmer Gaddy The debutantes carried round bouquets of small to large exhibition stage roses in pink, blush, white and off–white with a small amount of greenery, short exposed stems, and short sheer streamers. The table arrangements were tall silver candelabras with varying shades of pale pink roses, white tulips and hydrangeas, variegated ivy, and flowing dendrobium orchids.

Evelyn Wells Bowers Sons and grandsons invited to attend their first Ball were Mr. John Shelton Hodges, Mr. William Gourdin McMaster Jr., Mr. Joseph Julian Strickland Jr., Mr. George Cameron Todd III, Mr. Park Mikell Tupper, Mr. Danner Owens Walker, and Mr. Stuart Douglas Whiteside.

Katherine Stewart Bristow Seated at the President’s Table with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Yates Knowlton were Mr. Joseph Walker Clarke, president of The Columbia Cotillion, and Mrs. Clarke; Mr. Constantinos Arthur Corontzes, chairman of the Ball, and Mrs. Corontzes; Mr. and Mrs. John Bruce Guignard, hotel arrangements chairmen; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Edward Kneece Jr., hotel arrangements co–chairmen; Mr. and Mrs. Christian Tucker Weston III, music chairmen; and Mr. Thomas Otto Milliken, past president, and Mrs. Milliken.

Katherine Ford Heiner Committee chairmen were Mrs. William Cain Jr., debutantes; Mrs. James Livingston Bruner, debutante figure; Mrs. Simpson Zimmerman Fant, decorations; Mrs. Lana Hancock Sims, coffee table and silver; Mr. Thomas Charles Bryan II, reception; Mrs. Theodore Harold Reading II, house and seating; Mrs. Frank Shouse Beal Jr., invitations; Mrs. William Todd Bond, publicity; Mrs. Louie Lander Cason Jr., stags; Mrs. James Wilkes Fant Jr., social; Mrs. John Asbill Cloyd, scrapbook; and Mrs. William Wallace Bruner, executive secretary.